Comparative Assessment of Knowledge and Clinical Competency Level Among Government and Private Nursing Students

Background: The nursing education produces knowledge and clinical competency as the primary outcomes that guarantee safe and effective patient care. The comparison of government and private nursing students assists in determining the possible differences in education and readiness to work in the field. Aim: This study aimed to compare the knowledge and clinical competency levels of undergraduate nursing students in government and private institutions in Swat to identify differences in educational outcomes and practical skills. Methodology: The study was a descriptive comparative cross-sectional study that was carried out on 235 nursing students with clinical experiences (117 government, 118 private). Simple random sampling was used to pick the participants. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data on such variables as demographics, theoretical knowledge, clinical skills, and views on the learning environment. Results: Most students (61.7) had 10- 20 clinical hours a week, and 76.6% were exposed to a simulation lab. The theoretical knowledge of government students was better (mean 72.4, 10.5) than that of the private students (mean 61.2, 11.2). There were also higher levels of satisfaction with clinical supervision, lab preparation, feedback, and resource availability among government students. Chi-square test has shown that there is a significant relationship between the type of institution and the level of knowledge (23.76, p < 0.001). Conclusion: The knowledge and clinical competency of the government nursing students were better than those of the students of the private institutions. The differences could be in the form of differences in clinical exposure, faculty support, class size, and availability of resources.